Scythe blade shank holding clamp



1931- J. M. WILKINSON 0 SCYTHE BLADE SHANK HOLDING CLAMP Filed Nov. 26,1929 Jaim/Vl. Wily/1250a v Gttomegs' Patented Dec. 1, 1931 LPATEN r:orri SGYTI-HE. e ps s elr PFL ING Le Application filed November'26,1929a- Serial 110. 409,810.-

This invention relates to scythe blade hold ing clamps, and has forits.objecgttoprovide a construction. wherebya scythe blade shall' besecurely fastenedin place fand the shank ofthe blade and the handleshallbej both a strengthened atthepoint where thegreatest impositionofstrain occurs .in the operation of the scythe. duce construction bywhich a scythe-blade can be secured to or removed from a handle quicklyand easily and which is of simple, strong, durable and inexpensiveconstruction.

With the above named objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts ashereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a scythe. embodying theinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken in the longitudinal plane of thecenter of the handle, but showing the clamping sleeve and clamping bladeonly in section.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective View of the skeleton sleeve of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference charactersidentify corresponding parts, 1 indicates the handle of the scythe, thesame being of any suitable type and configuration throughout the greaterpart of its length (not shown) but of substantially semi-circular formin cross section at the end adjacent the blade of the scythe,hereinafter identified.

Fitting snugly on the semi-circular portion or end of the handle, is askeleton sleeve comprising essentially a flat plate 2 and a pair ofdepending U-shaped portions or yokes 3 and 4, the plate fitting flatlyagainst the fiat side of the handle and the yokes engaging the roundedsurface of the latter, and said yokes are connected by a longitudinallyextending tie piece 5 disposed opposite and parallel with plate 2.

The plate is provided at one endwith a pair of upstanding spaced lugs 6and near its opposite end with a pair of upstanding spaced lugs 7, andbeyond one of said lugs A further object is to proone side of yoke 8 isturned inward at; 8 to forn'ra shoulder in line withthe innerface of theadjacent lugszqthe lugs'i being pro;,;

vided, with bolt holes 9' through which protrude clamping, bolts 10extendingv up through theplate 2. I

The blade: 11 of the scythe abuts endwisev at itshandle end, against theshoulder formed by .the inturned,lportion 8 of yoke 3, and.

the shank ,12 of the bladefits flatly on.11)l ate 2 and snugly betweenthel-ugs? and .the lugs 6, which lugs. in conjunction, with the in-.'turned portion 8 serve to hold the shank against lateral, movement byopposing the strain, incidental to a cutting operation.

To secure the heel .end ofthe bla de and the shank :12 firmly upon theplate 2, a ,pair of clamping nuts13;.engage the upper ends'of I theboltslO anda clamping platel l which bridgesmad rests upon the shank12,it,being noted inthis connection that said shankpros. jects to'ahigher plane than lug 7 so thatthe full clamping actionofthe nuts 13upon the plate 14 shall ibe attainedsandtransmitted from the latter tothe shank.

in holding, the shank flatly upon plate 2, a

' bolt l5e xtends up through-plateQnearthe.

theshank, To still further guard against lateral edgewise or twisting,movement of th e shank under, the imposition of the strain imv posedthereon in the cutt ng, operat on, the

v To cooperate with the clamping plate 14 shank is providedwith ,aplurality of deendin' lu s 17 en a inqo enin slS in the plate 2, and toguard. against slippage or creepage of the skeleton sleeve upon the.hanv dle ,;a bolt 19 xtends down through an opening QO in plate 2 andalso through the handle and-the, underlying tie-piece 5 of theclamp-fing sleeve and a clamping nut 21. engages the threaded end of theboltand said part 5. a

It: will be apparent that by uniting the,

blade and thejshank thereof to the handle by j means of a clampingsleeve ofthecharacter de'scribed, a mostfstable, strong and rigid.connectionis provided, and that by simply removing clamp plate- ,14 andnut l6,; it.;is

possible to lift the blade from position without disturbing the clampingsleeve at all, and that to replace the blade, it is simply dis-- posedwith its shankbetween the pairs of lugs 6 and 7 and upon the bolt 15,the clamping plate and nuts 13 and 16'being then restored to operativeposition;

From the above description, it Will be; apparent that I have produced ascythe blade holding clamp embodying the features of advantage set forthas desirable'in thestatement of the objects of the invention and whichmay be modified in minor particulars without departing from the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

I claim: g

1. The combination of a handle, a sleeve thereon flattened at one sideand having a laterally facing shoulder at one end, oppoisite spacedpairs of lugs projectingfrom the flattened side of the sleeve at one endand near the other end, the last-named pair of lugs projecting to ahigher plane than the other, ascythe blade extending laterallyrelatively to and fitting flatly at its heel end upon the flattened sideof the sleeve and abutting endwise against said shoulder and providedwith 'necting the yokes at the opposite side of the a shank extendinglongitudinally and upon the flattened side of the said sleeve andfltting snugly between and against both lugs of each pair, the uppersurface of the shank between the pair of lugs near said shoulder,

lying in a higher plane than the latter, a 7

bridge plate overlying said shank from the pair of lugs adjacent saidshoulder and engaging the shank of the blade, and means for causing saidbridge plate to clampthe said shank firmly upon the plate.

2. The combination of a handle having a flattened side at one end, askeleton sleeve fitting snugly on the flattened end of the handle andcomprising a plate fitting flatly against the flattened side of thehandle, a pair of yokes projecting from the ends of said plate andaround the handle, a tie piece conhandle from the flat portion of thesleeve, and pairs of spaced lugs projecting in the opposite directionfrom the sleeve from said yokes;

one of the latter having an extension providing a laterally facingshoulder a scythe blade fitting at itsheel end upon the flattened sideof the sleeveand endwise against said plate, and clamping devicesadjustable on said bolts and engaging said bridging plate to cause thelatter to clamp the adjacent portion of the shank firmly against theflattened portion'of the sleeve.

3. In a scythe blade holding device, a sleeve comprising a flat plateprovided at one end with a depending U-shaped yoke and at the other endwith a similar but wider yoke, and a longitudinal.tie-piece parallelingthe plate and connecting the central portions of the yokes and providedwith an opening, one end of the wide yoke having a shoulder overlyingthe plate and facing laterally thereof, and said plate having at itsopposite end from said shoulder, a pair of upwardly-projeoting spacedlugs and between said lugs and said shoulder, a second pair of upwardlyprojecting spaced lugs, the plate also having a plurality of openings inthe line of the spaces between the lugs and another opening verticallyalined with the opening in the tie-piece.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

JOHN M. WILKINSON.

shoulder and provided With a shank extending from said heel endlongitudinally. and upon the flattened side of the sleeve and betweenand engaging the lugs ot'both pairs, clamping means securing the sleeveand shank flatly together near the free end ofthe latter, a clampingplate fitting upon the shank and bridging thespacebetween and spacedfromthe pair of lugs adjacent the heel end of the blade, bolts extendingthrough the flattened portion of the sleeve and said last-named lugs andsaid bridging

